Tool for decapping and recapping cartridge-shells.



PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

DGE SHELLS.

TOOL F UARTRI APPLICATION FILED JULY 17. 1902.

NO'MODEL.

L-AITYRNES, &

WIYQVESSFS:

ilmrnn STA'res Patented September 15, 1903.

PATENT Grinch,

iAn'rINns CHICK, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, A'SSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARVEY MCMURCHY, or FULTON, NEW YORK.

TOOL FOR D ECAPPING AND RECAPPING CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

SPECIFICATIOhT forming part. of Letters Patent No. 739,151, dated September 1 5, 1903.

Application filed July 17,1902- Serial No. 115,888. (No model.)-

To all whom it wtay concern:

Be it known that I, MARTINES CHICK, of San Diego, in the county of San Diego, in the State of California, have invented new and useful 5 Improvements in Tools for Decapping and Recapping Cartridge-Shells, of which the followin g, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved tool for decapping and recapping cartridge-shells.

The object is to produce a simple and practical device for removing caps from old or discharged shells and reinserting new or live caps, 'so that the shell may be recharged by any one skilledin the art and reused as many times as may be practicable.

A more specific object is to construct the device in such manner that two shells may be operated upon at the same time or separately, if desirede., one shell may be decapped and another one recapped by the same operation or the cap of a shell may be removed and a new one inserted by two successive operations, of the same device.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, construction, and arrangement 0: parts of shell capping and decapping' do, so, as hereinafter fully described, and o d. not in the claims.

it ferring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of my invention, showing two shells in position, one to be decappcd and the other to be recapped by one operation of the device. Figs. 8, and e are respectively a plan, partly in section, a side elevation, also partly in section, and a rear end view of the device seen in Fig. 1, a shell being shown in Fig. 3 in position to be decapped and a per- 0 tion of one of the levers being broken away to show the plunger. 7 Similar reference characters indicate correspending partsin all the views.

This tool may be made of any size or mate- ,5 .rial, but is preferably oi! small size adapted to be carried in the pocket to be used. when desired, and the various parts are usually out or stamped :frm; sheet'or bar metaland consists, essentially, of a head 1, a plunger 2, levers 3 3, a d iii: 4: l, These various parts are assembled in manner to be operated by hand, the hand 1 being provided with abutmenls 5 and 6 and recesses 7and 8, the abutment 5 forming the rear face of the head to engage and hold the shell, as a, from endwise movement during the decapping operation, and the abutment 6 forms one ofthe walls of the recess 7 in the front face of the head to engage and hold the shell from endwise movement during the insertion of acap, as a, into the shell. These recesses 7'and 8 are disposed in planes at right angles to each 0theri. 6., in the use of the tool. One recess, as 8, is regarded as vertical, being open at its upper end and closed at its lower end. and made to conform-to the shapeof the rim or head of the shell, while the recess 7 is horizontal and receives the inner or-frontends of the levers 3 and also the front end of one part of the plunger 2. The head 1 is also provided with a vertical slot or capway 10 and a. horizontal guide or openingll, the :zapway 10 being open at its upper side to receive the new caps and to hold them in position to be inserted or forced into the cap-seats in the heads of the shellsby the operation of the plunger 2. This capway 1O communicates with the recess 8, and the guideopening 11 extends rearwardly from the way 10 to the rear face of the head or, rather, to the recess 7 and forms a convenient guide for centering the plunger with the shell during the operation of inserting the cap in said shell.

The plunger 2 extends rearwardly from the central portion of the head 1, its front end being guided in the opening 11 and its rear end carried by the links 4, a suitable spring 12 being employed to normally hold the forward end of the plunger back from the abutments 5 and 6 and also to hold ehe levers 3 and links 4 in their distended positions. This plunger is preferably constructed in two parts -2 and 2, provided at their forward ends with dies 13 and 14, the part 2 being pivoted at its rear end at 15 to the rear end of the part 2 to oscillate vertically and to receive the shell preparatory to decapping the same.

In this operation the shell is slipped over the free end of the part 2", and the die 14 is alined with and enters the opening in the we center of the cap-seat, whereupon the part 2, with the shell thereon, is rocked toward the other part 2, so the rim of the shell is alined with the abutment 5. The plunger is then 'to return the plunger to its normal position.

'ceivc the smaller cartridges easily and procentering in operated in a manner hereinafter described, I which forces the rim of the shell against the abutment 5 and prevents the further movement of the shell, and the continued movement of the plunger causes its die 14 to force the cap from its seat, the spring; 12 serving In a similar manner when it is desired to inse t a new cap in the seat of the shell the rim or head of the shell is inserted into the recess 8. The cap is then inserted in the Way 10, and the plunger is then operated,as before,to force the die 13 against the cap and to thereby press the cap firmly intoits seat in thesholl.

The front ends of the lovers are pivoted at 16 to the head 1 at opposite sides of theplunger 2 and extend rearwardly beyond the rear end of said plunger, and the links l are pivoted at corresponding ends at 17 to the rear ends of the levers 3 and extend inwardly and forwardly and are pivoted at their inner ends at 18 to the rear end of the plunger, thus forming toggle connections between'the levers and plunger. These levers and links are normally held distended by the action of the spring upon the plunger 2 and are adapted to be compressed manually, the operator simply grasping the rear ends of the lovers in one or both hands and forcin the same toward each other against the action of the spring 12, said spring returning the love 2% to their normal position through the medium or" the plunger 2 and links 1.

In order to adapt my device to various sizes of ci trtrid res, so that the caps will alr-ntys be centered with the die or punch, l ref rably make the plunger of such (liltillfittfil'ilii \"vill revide the sarnc with centering means, consisting of springs 20, which are arranged lengthwise of the plunger and are secured in such manner as to expand outward l3 automatically and at the same time are readily com pressed by the cartridge and serve to hold said cartridge concentric with the axis of the die ll.

he operation of my in vention having been fully described in the foregoing, it isappa rent that one shell may be capped at the same time another is being decapped, or citherop oration may ho ell'cctol. singly,

iii-tying thus d rihnd my iuvontion, What I claim, and desire to secure by lmtlors latout, is-

i. in a tool [or dccnpping and rec-appiu'if cariridge'shelis, the combination w l :ad having, at one side an ahutzni-nl to hold the shell againstlongitudinal increment d tiring the do! tppin s; operation, tin opposite sid or the said land also provided with an alum ment to hold the shell a lost longitu movement during the raj-capping; open of a plunger composed oi, two zncinlicrt, one

being smal er iiiauthe other and LlOlll thereon,

ber carrying a punch at its forward end arranged to coact with the last-named abutment to force a cap into the shell, the said smaller member also carrying aipunch at its forward end arranged to coact with the first-named abutment to remove a cap from the shell, and means for operating the said members simultaneously, substantially as described.

2. In a tool for decapping and recapping cartridge-shells, the combinatioirwith a head having at one side an abutment to hold the shell against longitudinal movement during the decappin operation, the opposite side of the said head also provided with an abut- 'ment to hold the shell against longitudinal" movement during the recapping operation, the abutment connected by a guide-opening formed in the said head, and a eapway-formed' in the said head for holding caps preparatory to the recapping operation, of a plunger composed of two l 19l1ll)(5l'fi,OI1O being smaller than the other and mounted thereon, the said smaller member carrying a plurality of springs arranged circumferentially thereof,

member also cam-yin a punch at its forward endahc lastnanied punch adapted to'operato. in the said guideopeniug, a springsnr :oundins)" the last-named punch and adapt-ed to coact with the last-named aliiitn1ent,an(l means for operating thesaid members simultaneously, substantially described.

13. In tool for decapping; and recapping cartridg'o-sliells, the combination with a' head hz-i-ving at one side an abutment to hold the shell against longitudinal movement during the d'ecapping operation, the opposite side of the said head also provided with an abutment to hold the shell against longitudinal movement during the recapping operation, the abutment-s connected by aguide-opening formed in the said head, and a capn'ay formed in the said head. for holding caps preparatory to the recapping operation, of a plunger com-- posed of two members, one being smaller than the other and mounted thereon, the said smaller member carrying a plurality of springs arranged circumferentially thereof,

and a punch at its forward end, 't' in larger member also carrying a punch at its forward end, the last-named punch adaptt d to operate in the .'"id guide'openinggt oringsurroundinc the last-naincd punch and adapted to coact with the lastzed abutment, levers hinged to the said in l, 2131i. ox teudiu rearwardly beyond the said plunger,

and links (wnnucli :ir ends of the said lovers to the r curl oi the said plunger,

ntiallr as do: lined. in witiu. \i'hm'eol l have hereunto set my In:

hand lhis ll day oi (i no, W013.

lllAR'llhlli-IS CHICK.

ll" itncsses:

ii. at. snort, i i nnv l tsn an.

9 and a punch at its forward end, the larger 

